After pinging the right post early, Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri kept at it generating numerous chances in the first half. In the 15th minute, he curled in a long direct free kick from some 40 yards out that a sprinting Rodney Wallace got a head to in the mixer. Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Jeff Attinella had no chance and the Timbers took a 1-0 lead.
Against the run of play, RSL find an equalizer in the 38th minute from Nat Borchers. Following a Real Salt Lake free kick into the box, Borchers pounced on a loose ball to poke past Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.
Then in the 42nd minute, RSL's Javier Morales draws a foul in the box and referee Ricardo Salazar points to the spot. A minute later, Morales converts to make it 2-1 for RSL.
The Timbers keep pushing into the second half and in the 56th minute they are rewarded. Portland forward Darlington Nagbe chips upfield a perfectly placed ball for Wallace that bounces. RSL defender tried to stop it but the ball collided with an arm and the referee pointed to the penalty spot--this time for the Timbers. Valeri steps to the ball and slammed home the penalty kick to tie the game at 2-2.
After a bout of sustained Portland pressure that saw their attack continue to ping balls in and around the attacking third, the ball finally falls for forward Kalif Alhassan on the right side in the 86th minute. Alhassan, who had recently subbed in for Nagbe, took a touch and then fired the ball far post to give the Timbers a 3-2 lead and a JELD-WEN Field explosion.
But in the third minute of stoppage time, Real Salt Lake's Cole Grossman pokes in a shot to tie it 3-3.
